Secretary slams refs response to melees

The GAA’s rule relating to ‘contributing to a meleé’ is one which leaves a referee and his other match officials in an impossible position, Dominic McCaughey has stated in his final County Secretary’s annual report.

The Trillick man, the longest serving adminstrator in the country, retires from his post officially at next Tuesday’s annual Convention in Garvaghey, having first been elected into the role back in 1987.

In a wide-ranging report to delegates he reviews the many highlights, successes and joyful occasions for the Association at every level from national, through provincial, county, club and down to that of the individual in 2022, as well as the disappointments, setbacks, and tragic events that occurred.

Reflecting on the disappointing season endured by the Tyrone senior footballers, coming in off the back of their All-Ireland success, Mr McCaughey touches on a number of contentious on field issues in which they were embroiled.

Commenting on referee Joe McQuillan’s decision to send off substitute Conor McKenna in the closing stages of the Ulster Championship match against Fermanagh at Brewster Park, Mr McCaughey does not mince his words.

“ The major talking point from this victory was not the players’ performance, but that of the match referee; to the consternation of everyone in attendance, he inexplicably identified one Tír Eoghain player contributing to a meleé in injury time at the end of the game, then showed him a red card and sent him off.

“ No other player was sent off as a consequence of the meleé. The absurd decision was of course rightly overturned by the Central Hearings Committee when the player presented his video evidence.”

The County Secretary also makes reference to the fiery National League game against Armagh in the Athletic Grounds earlier in the season, when the Red Hands saw four players dismissed by match official David Gough after a melee along the endline late on.

He states that incorrect calls by referees heightens the sense of exasperation among players and management. However he argues that the GAA rules leave the referees with little wiggle rom to apply common sense.

“ In all matches, mistakes and errors take place, and they are committed by all participants – the players, the managers and the match officials – but, in general, it is those of the referees that are highlighted by a team’s supporters, particularly those associated with the losing team.

“ Down through the years, one of the Association’s mantras has been ‘Give Respect, Get Respect’ and this has applied, and should always continue to apply, to our match officials. However, respect towards a referee or other match official diminishes greatly when blatantly wrong decisions are made on the field of play.

“ The GAA’s rule relating to ‘contributing to a meleé’ is one which leaves a referee and his other match officials in an impossible position to make correct decisions, and since this rule cannot be applied in a proper manner, it should be reviewed, as a matter of urgency, by the Rules Advisory Committee.

“ Of course, first and foremost, meleés should not occur in any league or championship game, but, regrettably they do. In one of the games referred to above, one player from Tyrone was sent off for contributing to a meleé while it was apparent from the video-recording that there were nine players from the opposition associated with the meleé.

“ And, in the second instance as previously mentioned, when four Tyrone players, and one from the opponent’s team, were dismissed from the pitch for the same infraction, the match officials could have properly taken action, according to the rule, against over twenty players.”

Mr McCaughey felt by singling out and sending off one player for contributing to a meleé, a referee is clearly wrong; but, if the match officials identify over twenty players contributing to a meleé and all are dismissed then the match cannot be completed.

“This is an impossible situation for the referee to adjudicate on,” he concluded.